the linguistics of love
by lavender macarons
Summary: Through all the hardships that she has gone through in her twenty-one years of living, Eponine finds that there is a single day in February that she looks forward to every time it comes around. [ragtag troop universe] Modern AU, One-shot, E/É.


_There is only one universal language that can be communicated without the five senses and still have the ability to touch hearts in various forms: love._

* * *

Through all the hardships that she has gone through in her twenty-one years of living, Eponine finds that there is a single day in February that she looks forward to every time it comes around. She's always understood why people believed that she would dislike Valentine's Day, but that really isn't the case, because, for Eponine, there are a multitude of reasons to revel in the day of warmth and love.

**One:** She adores the color pink. (_It's such a cliche, but never judge a book for its cover_)

At five, she was already wearing an abundance of black.

It wasn't her choice back then, her father was the one that always bought the clothes for their family, and he wasn't exactly a fashion connoisseur (_he still isn't, actually_). Long story short, ill fitting corduroys and a sack-like black dresses _paired together_ were a staple in Eponine's childhood.

* * *

As years of schooling went by, her style eventually improved, but black outfits still made up a huge part of her wardrobe because it was easier to go into a department store and just pick out a pack of plain black tees in the mens section than going into any clothing store for women.

* * *

Her first Valentine's Day in school was in kindergarten and they spent the whole day drawing, reading books, and eating sweets that painted their little five year old minds with vivid reds, pinks, and whites.

The parents of her classmates were in complete disbelief when they found out that the beautiful, handmade pink cards were from the skinny little girl that wore black like it was a uniform. No one, to this day, has ever guessed that her favorite color is pink.

**Two:** She has something to celebrate that day every year. (_Whether she wants to or not_)

February 14th is the only day of the year that the Thenardier family will ever have all its members together for longer than fifteen minutes.

Why?

It is the birthday of the one in charge, the matriarch of the family, the mother of the five rowdiest children to grace the earth. She and her husband take the day off and buy a few cupcakes to celebrate. They'll rent a cheesy romantic comedy that has the females sighing and with their envy for the characters being voiced every five minutes, then the males, after squirming through the whole movie, will run off as soon as the credits start rolling to light the candles.

Her mother blows the candles out, she makes a wish, they all hug and go their separate ways.

* * *

Now that Eponine's mother is turning forty-five (_her father is well into his fifties, her younger brothers are seventeen, fourteen, and eleven, and her only sister is nineteen_), all seven members of the family make sure that their schedule is clear for at least two hours and all issues with each other are pushed aside for one day so they can go through the routine another time. It's always the same thing, just add in four more kids, twenty more years, and a few more (_better tasting_) cupcakes and there it is, that's that.

* * *

Not quite the perfect family's celebration, but it leaves a sort of contentment that lingers long enough to remind Eponine that her life isn't all that bad.

**Three:** Rejection can be looked back upon through fond eyes. (_After it simmers for a few days_)

She is fourteen and he is fourteen, they are both freshmen in high school when she meets her current best friend, Marius Pontmercy.

They have the same math class, in which the teacher chooses popsicle sticks at random to pick the helpers of the week. Eponine and Marius are chosen during the same week, so they spend their lunches together sorting and stapling packets together (_and drawing pictures of their math teacher that the entire school refers to as the Mr. Penguin because of his waddle_).

* * *

They are fast friends, and there is only about a week in the duration of their friendship that they didn't spend laughing.

* * *

Though they definitely weren't strangers, due to their schedules, they didn't see much of each other their sophomore and junior years. There were only several moments during those two years that they had actual conversations, but they both remember them well.

When they finally share a class again senior year, she finds herself looking back at those moments so much that she develops an insane infatuation for him. Being the confrontational creature she is, she confesses, on Valentine's Day no less. There are only a few people around when she does it, Marius himself (_obviously_), his friend Joly, and her friend, Musichetta.

He has to say no.

He already asked someone, Cosette, to be his Valentine and she agreed. With an extremely distressed expression (_which is so hilarious that Eponine actually laughed while being rejected_), he gives her a hug and walks away with Joly.

Eponine goes home to her mothers' celebration feeling a bit heartbroken and a bit betrayed, but as the night goes on, she finds that she's not that disappointed. She's actually a little happy for him (_because, fuck, Marius and Cosette are so adorable individually, they'd be even more adorable as a couple_).

They don't talk at all for the next four days, both of them practically flying out of their shared class and slinking through the hallways to avoid each other, but it is Marius' birthday on the 21st and they are both relieved when she is the first one to greet him. They ease back into their laidback camaraderie and making fun of Mr. Penguin's quirks. Oddly, the experience wasn't what the universe makes it out to be in movies and novels and personal blog accounts. Eponine wasn't embarrassed, they didn't hate each other, their friendship was even stronger than before, she didn't hate Cosette (_she actually really likes her_), and, most of all, it was ridiculously easy to move on.

Looking back at that day, Eponine realizes that she actually can't even remember the pain of the rejection, all she sees is Musichetta beside her yelling at Joly and throwing her Valentine at his face. It was the closure of her first love, but the opening of a world of friendship (_and a horrible, embarrassing story to share with their future friends_) that she simply didn't think was possible.

**Four:** It's just so magnificent to see people so happy! (_And it's the only day she can eat as much chocolate as she wants_)

There is just something different about Valentine's day, and it's that different feeling that Eponine waits for.

There's so much positivity (_if one discounts those people moping about being single and preaching about it being Singles Awareness Day_) that is floating around the air, and it is rare to find that in these extremely cynical times.

* * *

Children are dressed in their nicest clothes and giving cards with covered with cartoons and puns to each other, friends are going around with chocolates to distribute, teenagers are able to muster up the courage to confess their feelings, couples are going on actual dates, and the streets are literally plastered with hearts (_and reds, and pinks, and whites_).

* * *

_It's the only day she can eat as much chocolate as she wants._

It's the only day that people are walking around with smiles.

_It's the only day she can eat as much chocolate as she wants._

It's the only day that she can be with her siblings without someone shrieking like a banshee.

_It's the only day she can eat as much chocolate as she wants._

It is the anniversary of four of her closest friends (_Marius & Cosette, Joly & Musichetta_), the only day in the year that her parents show pure adoration for each other.

_It's the only day she can eat as much chocolate as she wants._

It is the anniversary with her first actual boyfriend (_and the anniversary of her first kiss_).

_...and it's the only day she can eat as much chocolate as she wants._

**Five:** Enjolras, no other words are necessary for this reason. (_Except that he's absolutely the most gorgeous man to possibly exist in this universe_)

Contrary to popular belief, Eponine didn't have her first kiss until she was nineteen and well into her second year of college.

She got into all of the colleges she applied to, but she decides to go to the one closest to home. Marius, Cosette, and Joly all chose to attend that university (_Musichetta decided on going to a community college first_), but that isn't the only reason why Eponine chose the school. It was the only university that offered her a full ride (_it really pays off to be a nerd_).

Their group of five expands into thirteen over the next year, adding Courfeyrac, Jehan, Bossuet, Bahorel, Grantaire, Feuilly, Combeferre, and Enjolras. Eponine grows close to most of the boys, but the fates were definitely counting on her getting with Enjolras.

* * *

The first quarter of Eponine's second year started off rather slow; she was only able to get two classes: Calculus 3 and Speech. She didn't know anyone in Calculus, but she spent every minute in that class anyway paying attention to every minuscule detail that the professor wrote on the board.

Speech was the first class she ever shared with Enjolras. He was really a sort of enigma to Eponine at that point. He would go along to all the group meetings, but he only ever talked to Combeferre and Courfeyrac. He'd laugh at a few of her jokes and he would smile at her if they saw each other on campus, but that was probably all the interaction she had with him before Speech.

They sat together on the first day even though Enjolras actually knew a few of the others in the class, and ended up being permanent partners for the semester.

They practiced with each other later that week, and Eponine couldn't keep her eyes off him. The amount of passion he put into his speech (_on the discord between social classes_) and the sheer power in his presence was shocking. It was the most beautiful thing that she'd ever seen. After that day, they spent almost all of their free time together, which garnered smug looks from the rest of their group.

They danced circles around each other for months, both of them feeling attraction, but both of them also unsure of what to do (_when one is nineteen, he or she still doesn't realize that there is nothing really to lose. it's one of those dumb, teenager things_). They got to the point when they knew each other's schedules, movie preferences, usual order at the campus cafe, but still, neither made a move.

On the Valentine's Day of that school year, Eponine, who was walking with Enjolras after returning from her mother's birthday dinner, was approached by one of the members of the football team that had a slight crush on Eponine the year before (_she had to say no, he was attractive enough, but he was known for being quite the player_). He only got one lewd sentence out about Eponine's supposed promiscuity before Enjolras punched him and started pulling Eponine towards her dorm.

The look on Enjolras' face was scarier than any horror film out there (_even the Asian ones!_).

Eponine, in rage at the situation, began to rant about how she didn't need protection and how it was impossible for her to be promiscuous when there were no guys interested and _"what the fuck Enjolras, are you still not going to ask me out after all of this?"_ She spoke loudly and her cheeks were glowing red from the pure determination in her speech until she turned and found Enjolras laughing.

"What?" Eponine tried to keep her pout, but couldn't help the upward twitches at the corners of her mouth when she saw Enjolras who was doubled over in laughter. He wiped tears out of his eyes and smiled at her.

"Jehan planned the most elaborate engagement for our first date and I was supposed to ask you out as soon as, quote-unquote, our stars aligned. I guess that will happen earlier than expected, which will be disappointing for Grantaire who bet that it would happen next month."

"What day did Cosette bet on?"

"According to Courfeyrac's planner, I believe she and Marius placed their bets on today."

A wolfish grin appeared on Eponine's face as she inched towards him. If it were possible, his smile probably would have grown even larger as he put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer to lean his forehead against hers. "I like those two, I really like them. Well, what do you say lover boy? Would you like to help them win this bet?"

"I like the way you think Miss Thenardier."

Eponine stood on her toes and pushed their lips together for the first time (_but most certainly not the last, as proven by this current Valentine's Day_).

* * *

a/n: Happy Valentine's Day! (:


End file.
